Fomes fomentarius

Fomes fomentarius
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Fungi
Division:	Basidiomycota
Class:	Agaricomycetes
Order:	Polyporales
Family:	Polyporaceae
Genus:	Fomes
Species:	F. fomentarius
Binomial name
Fomes fomentarius (L.) Fr. 1849
Synonyms
Species synonymy[1][2] 1753 Boletus fomentarius L. 1783 Agaricus fomentarius (L.) Lam. 1789 Boletus ungulatus Bull. 1818 Polyporus fomentarius (L.) G. Mey. 1839 Polyporus fomentarius var. excavatus Berk. 1861 Polyporus inzengae Ces. & De Not. 1877 Polyporus mirus Kalchbr. 1882 Fomes mirus (Kalchbr.) P. Karst. 1884 Polyporus introstuppeus Berk. & Cooke 1885 Fomes excavatus (Berk.) Cooke 1885 Fomes introstuppeus (Berk. & Cooke) Cooke 1885 Fomes inzengae (Ces. & De Not.) Cooke 1886 Placodes fomentarius (L.) Quél. 1888 Ochroporus fomentarius (L.) J. Schröt. 1898 Scindalma fomentarium (L.) Kuntze 1898 Scindalma introstuppeum (Berk. & Cooke) Kuntze 1898 Scindalma mirum (Kalchbr.) Kuntze 1900 Ungulina fomentaria (L.) Pat. 1903 Elfvingia fomentaria (L.) Murrill 1914 Elfvingiella fomentaria (L.) Murrill 1915 Fomes nigrescens Lloyd 1916 Fomes griseus Lázaro Ibiza 1916 Ungularia populina Lázaro Ibiza 1917 Ungularia albescens Lázaro Ibiza 1917 Ungularia nivea Lázaro Ibiza 1917 Ungularia subzonata Lázaro Ibiza 1922 Polyporus fomentarius var. lineatus Velen. 1925 Fomes albescens (Lázaro Ibiza) Sacc. & Trotter 1925 Fomes niveus (Lázaro Ibiza) Sacc. & Trotter 1925 Polyporus populinus (Lázaro Ibiza) Sacc. & Trotter 1925 Fomes subzonatus Lázaro Ibiza) Sacc. & Trotter 1963 Pyropolyporus fomentarius (L.) Teng

Fomes fomentarius (commonly known as the tinder fungus,^[3] false tinder fungus, hoof fungus,^[3] tinder conk, tinder polypore or ice man fungus) is a species of fungal plant pathogen found in Europe, Asia, Africa and North America. The species produces very large polypore fruit bodies which are shaped like a horse's hoof and vary in colour from a silvery grey to almost black, though they are normally brown. It grows on the side of various species of tree, which it infects through broken bark, causing rot. The species typically continues to live on trees long after they have died, changing from a parasite to a decomposer.

Though inedible, F. fomentarius has traditionally seen use as the main ingredient of amadou, a material used primarily as tinder, but also used to make clothing and other items. The 5,000-year-old Ötzi the Iceman carried four pieces of F. fomentarius, concluded to be for use as tinder. It also has medicinal and other uses.